Primary pupils ‘less hyper’ after school’s social media detox
A PRIMARY school has piloted a month-long social media and technology detox for its fourth-class students, which has been hailed as a great success – with pupils said to be less ‘hyper’ as a result.
Pupils at St John’s National School in Kenmare, Co. Kerry, signed an agreement with parents that between Monday and Thursday, no social media or digital devices will be used at home or in school.
The school held a ‘Digital Strategy’ meeting in November with the 78 parents and guardians of fourth-class pupils in attendance.
On the night, parents heard from Terry O’Sullivan, former principal of Blennerville National School in Co. Kerry, who started an initiative of this type earlier this year.
As agreed at the meeting, the pilot initiative has seen pupils in fourth class refrain from all activities on tech devices including smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, PCs, laptops and iPods from Monday to Thursday.
Such has been the success of the pilot scheme – which has garnered widespread praise from parents and teachers – that the school is hoping pupils and parents of fifthand sixth-class students will take up the challenge in January.
The principal of St John’s, Denis Courtney, told the Irish Daily Mail that schools are taking these measures to educate parents and children that there is more to life than screen time.
While the school fully backs technology to support education, Mr Courtney says children need to get back to activities such as board games or reading a book.
‘I really have to commend the parents of the fourth-class pupils who have supported this,’ he said. ‘The biggest thing that we got from our talk with the parents is how ill-equipped they feel when it comes to having enough knowledge about technology to stay ahead of their children.
‘They said they would do more if they knew more about technology, so one of the big things our school wants to do in the new year is to help up-skill parents more.
‘We have already had a person come in and talk to the school, so we need to do more of this.’
The principal said there was a ‘broad’ consensus amongst parents that this was a ‘good step forward’ in tackling growing concerns about screen time at home.
While phones are not permitted to be brought to St John’s, the initiative in the home has seen pupils reap the benefits. Parents in the school have already reported a great change in their children’s moods and behaviours, while teachers noted an improvement in attention during lessons.
‘The teachers in St John’s have also outlined that they would like to be up-skilled more, and we are working with the Education Centre in Tralee to do this,’ said Mr Courtney.
‘Teachers have reported that pupils’ concentration has improved and they are not as hyper and anxious at the end of the day to get home to their devices. We have seen students’ self-esteem compromised by social media and we hope this trial period of a month has helped.’
The hope for 2019 is that the plan will be extended to fifth and sixth class.
‘We have said in this agreement, which parents and children signed, that we would trial it between Monday and Thursdays to see how it went,’ said the principal
‘Such has been the success of the scheme that parents have now extended the initiative to older children.
‘We are taking the kids for a pizza next Thursday as it’s the end of the school year and one fourthclass pupil told me that he deserved a whole pizza as it had been torture to watch his older brother game when he wasn’t allowed.’
St John’s is the latest in a string of schools tackling social media concerns.
Just last week, the Mail reported on the success of a trial social media detox for sixth-class pupils at Gaelscoil Uí Fhiaich in Co. Kildare.
Mr Courtney said he is looking forward to next year when he hopes his school will continue with its campaign.
‘I hope other schools will take similar steps,’ he added.
‘It just takes a few parents and schools to start the stepping stones and, hopefully, in a few years we will be having healthy and happier children with cyber bullying a distant memory.’
seán.dunne@dailymail.ie
‘Parents extended the initiative’